Not a Lizard
by LifeRuinedbyOB
Summary: First story written for my Orphan Black Magic Au.


Cosima Niehaus was laying in her all too familiar position, on the carpeted floor with her books spread out all around her, when Sarah walked in.  
"Hey Cos!" Sarah called out distractedly, her eyes systematically searching every inch of the room. "Have you seen Kira? Her lessons were supposed to start like ten minutes ago, but Mrs. S said that she didn't show up."  
Cosima shifted uncomfortably on the floor, avoiding her clone's piercing gaze. "Kira?" she asked, obviously trying to avoid the question. "No, I don't think I saw a little blonde girl running-"  
"Cos!" Sarah cut her off, exasperated. "I can tell that you're lying to me. Just 'fess up and tell me where Kira is."  
Cosima was about to answer when Sarah's eyes fell upon the gecko that was resting on her shoulder.  
"Cosima," Sarah said calmly, her voice barely revealing the brewing storm of anger behind it. "Please tell me that you didn't turn Kira into a lizard."  
Cosima winced. "Well technically she's a gecko," she offered weakly, trailing off when Sarah's glare neglected to soften. "I was just testing our hypothesis that the gene that you and Helena have for resisting transformation was dominant," she pressed on desperately, her hands making wild gestures toward a pile of papers that had been pushed off to the side, as she tried to defend her actions.  
"And was it?" Sarah asked tensely, clenching her teeth in frustration.  
Cosima's shoulders drooped dejectedly, almost sending Kira sliding to the floor. "Well, no," she admitted, carefully moving Kira from her precarious perch to the rug. "But Delphine and I-" Cosima froze as she realized her error.  
"Delphine?" Sarah repeated with a frown. "I told you to stay away from her, Cos! She's a follower of Dyad, an apprentice for God's sake. We can't trust her. Their magic is too dark. We all know what happened to Beth. Jesus, it just about broke Alison's heart!"  
Cosima grew defensive, her guilt being overwhelmed by anger. "Delphine is nothing like Paul," she said harshly, spitting out the latter name with distaste. "And it's not like our own magic is all rainbows and unicorns."  
Sarah was about to shoot back a retort when she noticed a small pair of reptilian eyes flicking back and forth as her daughter intently followed their conversation. "Not now," she said, lowering her voice. "Not in front of Kira."  
"Oh, shit, sorry man," Cosima apologized contritely, scooping up the little gecko and setting her back on her shoulder. "I'll bring Kira to Siobhan and tell her what happened." She paused in the doorway and looked back at Sarah. "You're lucky, you know?" she said softly. "I was pretty lost before I met Beth, and this is all fairly new to me. You have Kira and your mom. I would kill to have a real family that loved me like that." With that, Cosima left the room, leaving a slightly dumbfounded Sarah in her wake, who was stunned by the weakness that Cosima had revealed, a trait that she had never connected to the confident dreadlocked girl.  
A few minutes later, Kira came bounding into the room, a bright grin on her face. "Mommy, can I be a gecko every day?" she asked excitedly.  
Sarah laughed despite herself as she wrapped her arms tightly around her daughter, breathing in her scent. "I dunno monkey," she replied affectionately. "I kinda like having you stuck here as a human like me."  
"Okay Mommy," Kira replied, before wriggling her way out of her mother's tight embrace. "Anyway, Mrs. S already promised to make me a monkey."  
"Oi, you little brat!" Sarah shouted as her giggling daughter scampered away down the hall, passing the sheepish Cosima as she entered the room. She tried to be angry, but the moment had passed with her fear for Kira's safety no longer an issue. She simply pulled her clone into an uncharacteristic hug, and whispered some advice into her ear. "Be careful with Delphine, Cos. And if you ever do that to my kid again, I will light your library on fire. Are we clear?"  
Cosima grinned up at Sarah, relieved to have gained her forgiveness. "Crystal."


End file.
